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DreamHigher

Our goal at DreamHigher is to bring rock climbing to the vulnerable youth of Cape Town, building confidence, bridging social divides and forming connections with the natural world.

Climbing exposes us to a range of emotions such as fear, frustration, pride, and joy; and to manage these emotions we need to learn self-control, balance, patience and commitment. At DreamHigher, we believe that this journey leads to growth and emotional balance.

Our home of Cape Town, South Africa is one of the world’s premier rock climbing destinations, with an almost endless array of high quality boulders, sport and traditional climbing routes. The emotional benefits of climbing, the strong bonds within the climbing community, and exposure to the beauty of the natural world make this sport an ideal opportunity to build bridges across social divides, connect youth with their natural heritage and heal the damage inflicted by violence, substance abuse and poverty on the youth of Cape Town.

Recognizing these benefits, we initiated a collaboration with the Homestead Project for Street Children and proposed to introduce the youth under their care to climbing. The Homestead Project for Street Children is a Cape Town based non-profit addressing to the plight of children living, working and begging on the streets of Cape Town. With the support of Bloc 11 and Vertigo adventures, we were provided with a world class bouldering facility from which to run our programme and top quality gear to equip our climbers.

What we do:

Indoor climbing sessions

We organise multiple indoor coaching sessions a week for vulnerable youth from the Homestead at Bloc 11 and City Rock Cape Town. We follow a training plan developed by our head training adviser Matt Bush and our sessions are guided by experienced climbers who regularly invite some of South Africa’s top climbers to join the fun

Outdoor climbing days

We have regular outdoor days in the month, bouldering and sport climbing around the Cape Peninsula under the supervision of experienced climbing guides

Introduction to climbing afternoons

We offer an introduction to climbing as a recreational activity to local outreach social initiatives working with vulnerable youth. Their kids can come discover what is the sport about, have fun and test themselves against the problems. These events are hosted at Bloc 11 on a weekend afternoon, they are designed for groups of 10-15 youth who will be guided by experienced climbing coaches and our most committed team members.

In less than a year of activity, the youth participating in the DreamHigher programme have progressed enormously as climbers, and grown as individuals. Listen to them describe this journey in their own words, courtesy of the outdoor content creators, Be Bolder:

Find out more about what we do, and keep in touch with our recent activities by visiting our website www.dreamhigher.co.za or follow us on facebook or Instagram